"Can you please spare some change?"

Along the alleyway filled with broken glass, flipped trash cans and the pungent stench that indicated probable roadkill,sat a woman with her back to the wall.

The moonlight escaped the alleyway giving it a pitch black eerie atmosphere.

She seemed to be in her late 30s with a distended abdomen,which implied she was pregnant.Her body shape spoke of definite body wasting.She was holding a metal can which had a label of tuna on it.

She most probably got it from the scattered rubbish from the flipped over trash cans.

There seemed to be a few coins in the can,maybe four,five or a couple more.

"Please spare some change good sir?"

Infront of her stood a young man, holding a black brief case.He wore a well-made black suit concealing a white shirt with a polka dotted tie.On his wrist was a gold watch and he had on a nice pair of brown leather shoes.

His hair was impeccably done, complementing to the already stylish attire he had on.

He cast a condescending look upon her as if she were nothing but a mere inconvenience, which she was.

"Okay ,let's play a game then"he said letting of a subtle chuckle.

The gentleman reached into his back pockets and you could hear the clinking of coins.He shifted the loose change to his palms .

"We are going to play a game,if you win, I'll spare you more than enough money."

The woman hurriedly sat up straight, tossing away her can as the coins spilled.Her eyes glittered with hope and desperation.She was clearly enticed by the man's mannerisms which made her more than willing to do anything.

The man reached for his brief case revealing a pack of cards.She squinted her eyes as she tried to see what she was dealing with but she couldn't tell.

He shuffled the cards and lay out three cards on the ground.

"You have two choices."

"Either we play the card game and you get enough money if you win or you choose coins where we'll play heads or tails for it."

There was clearly only one choice for her and that was to win big.

"From these three cards, I'd like you to pick out a single one and try to match it with one from the stack I am holding."

"If you can take even a single round,you win, but if you lose there's a penalty."

In the end it was all down to luck and she knew that in her case there was no way fate would allow her a hint of happiness.

She picked up the first card on her right.The cards had a weird design, almost giving off a vibe similar to tarot cards.It has a picture of a fair young girl holding a baby.She stood up and shrugged off the dirt on her falling apart dress.

"So do I pick from there next?"

"Yes."

She decided to pull out a card from the middle bunch.It was almost similar but instead of the young girl holding the baby,it was a black shadowy figure.

"Did I win?"

"They match don't they?"

"I'll tell you when you win so just keep playing."

She squatted down and reached for another card,this time the first one from her left.It had a picture of a queen holding a staff.

This time she decided to pick out the topmost card from the pack.It was a knight on a horse raising a sword.

She looked up at the man with the intention of confirming if the game was won already.He just silently stood there, pointing to the single card on the ground.

At this point,she was uncertain of whether the man would keep the promise of the bet.She flinched as she reached for the last card.She could feel it.Her life could change from a mere card game.She only needed for luck to be on her side.From her cultural perspective,tarot cards were considered evil and non religious so she felt a little creeped out from the cards.

"I don't think I wanna play anymore."

"Just tell me if I've won or not."

" Or let me choose the coins then alright."

"Look,it's just a game and you are nearly done.Just pick out your last cards and you'll see."

The man's entire face was swallowed by the darkness from the alleyway.She could only see him from the chest to his shoes.She reluctantly reached for the last card on the ground and another from the pack in the man's hand.

"What is this?!",she shrieked as she pressed herself against the wall.She threw down her cards as her body tensed up.

"Pppl... please don't hurt me ?,I didn't know?"

"I'm not going to harm you, I'm just giving you another chance.Don't you want a second chance to start again?"he said in sympathetic tone.

"I don't want your money anymore,just please leave me alone.Please."

"Sshh... it's gonna be alright.Just give in to your destiny and it will all work out."

She tightly grabbed onto her dress and ran towards the road.

"Help...help me... please help,"she cried out as she neared the road.

Out of the alleyway, moon was clearly evident and it's almost crimson colour gave out a very eerie,lifeless hue making even the familiar area seems so distorted.

She looked around but no one was around.Only the road seemed busy from the late night drives but along the road,all the vendors and passers-by that were normally there were gone.

Aside from the rhythmi sound made by tires against the asphalt,it was dead silent.

She could tell,with her condition there was no way of running away.Her next best option was to get help from the cars.

She hurriedly walked to the road side and began waving to indicate someone to stop.

The cars just sped past her.It was only natural.At this time of night,who would extend his hands to help out a stranger huh.

"Are you done running?"

"I don't have the luxury of chasing after you whole night so this will have to do."

"What do you..."

One moment she was standing by the roadside,the next a force struck her back shoving her forward towards the asphalt.

There were no headlights,no blaring of a horn or screeching of tyres skidding on the road.She just felt a brutal slam to her body and next thing she knew,she was on the ground.

"Is this it?"

"In the end my life amounted to nothing."

As the blood pool beneath her warmed her body,she could feel the night swallow her whole.

"At least my child won't have to be born to this cruel worl..."

"My lady....my lady."

"My Lady... please wake up."

"Shut up already just let me sleep."

"My lady... please wake up."

"What the hell is going on?"

"Where's that noise coming from?"

"What's this pain?"

"I can't feel anything... where am I?"

She tried to move but her whole being had been engulfed by nothingness.

Suddenly,a bright light shone from afar.It dominated the dark forcing her to open her eyes.

"She's awake...her has awoken."

"Someone go get the lord."

She tried to sit up but suddenly felt a sharp pain on her abdomen.

"What's going on?"

"Where am I?"

"Come down my Lady,you passed out during labour."

"We thought you wouldn't make it but you awoke."

"Just lie down and let us help you."

The pain kept worsening.

"Push your Grace...we need you to push.

She gripped the sheets with trembling fingers, knuckles white, as another wave of pain tore through her. It started deep, a relentless pressure in her lower back, then spread like fire through her abdomen, twisting and clenching with unbearable intensity. Her breath hitched—short, gasping exhales between ragged cries—as she fought to stay in control.

The room was filled with a raw piercing cry.The squirming bundle had finally emerged.

"My lady,you need to push just one more time...one last time."

Her body already given out from all the exhaustion but it was impossible for her body to relax till she was done with all this.

She gritted her teeth as her body trembled while she fought through the pain.The pressure was unbearable but she forced herself to release.

"Well done my lady...it's another boy...twins in fact."

At that point in time,she had no energy to even start to question her own reality.Exhausted,she fainted.